Brave New Voices Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals, hosted by YouthSpeaks, took place at the San Francisco Public Library’s Koret Auditorium on Friday evening. The event featured the top 20 poets from preliminary rounds across the Bay Area, each delivering original performances on a range of topics within three minutes and 30 seconds.
Vulnerability was a recurring theme throughout the night, with poems discussing heavy personal stories. Teenagers spoke about loss, love, identity, and sexuality in evocative performances.
Sophomore Delilah Ruler from Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, discussed her feelings and frustrations about being a woman in America through the personification of the Statue of Liberty. “Lady Liberty holds independence in one hand and freedom in the other. Neither of which she possesses. She does not have the freedom to exist in her own body. Lady Liberty was not meant to be a representation of restriction when she was given a woman’s face.”
Through a powerful spoken poem, Oakland School for the Arts freshman Zoe Sullivan expressed her feelings about her identity and beliefs as a Jewish-American regarding the crisis in Israel.
“The word Jewish has become synonymous with Israel and the murder of children. And so there is no way to talk about one without talking about the other two. So much wrong has been done in the name of Judaism,” Sullivan said.
She entered the Poetry Slam after flourishing in her school’s spoken word class. “I love going up there and being able to say everything I feel,” Sullivan said. “Also listening to everyone else’s poems because they’re all so amazing. They make me think of things I’ve never thought of before.”
This year’s winner, Irvington High School junior Anika Mangla, was a newcomer to the Poetry Slam community. She wowed spectators with a striking poem about issues like assault and violence against women viewed through the lens of her Indian culture.
“For this poem, I wanted to do a cultural piece because I do not see any Indian girls in these creative fields in high school and I want to represent my culture. From there, I jotted down ideas about rape culture, normalized domestic violence, and the patriarchy,” Mangla said. “Poetry is very often a reflection of your life, so I incorporated a lot of my story about how I found out about these issues and how I viewed my name.”
Beyond just being a competition, YouthSpeaks serves as an important forum for youth to connect and share their experiences. “It’s a really good way to interact with people in your local community and get inspired to write,” YouthSpeaks Advisory Board member sophomore Dylan Kelly said. “A lot of people are afraid to be vulnerable and share their work, but YouthSpeaks is a judgment-free space.”
Slam poetry also encourages audience interaction. To lighten the mood after particularly heavy pieces, a lively MC kept the energy up. Throughout performances, the audience was encouraged to react, responding to powerful lines with an affirming “Mmmm,” or an enthusiastic “Okay, poet!”
“YouthSpeaks itself draws people who have similar thoughts and issues that I want to speak about and discuss,” Mangla said. “It’s an environment that makes you laugh, cry, think, and feel.”
Through YouthSpeaks, Ruler has flourished in poetry and spoken word. “I love the community that poetry brings, especially all the hype in this space,” Ruler said. “Coming to a slam brings so much energy and it’s something that everybody should try to experience.”
“Slam poetry has really helped me step out of my comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to join us, we don’t bite!” Kelley added.
The top 10 scoring poets will advance to the finals, scheduled for April 25, 2025, at the Brava Theater Center in San Francisco in San Francisco. The finalists will represent the Bay Area at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival in July 2025. Watch the recorded event here.
